Technology

[spechg]

I was a pilot for 45 years and watched technology change the way we flew, from round gauges to flat screens. It was a great period of time. Sorry I had to retire.
Now I'm into motorcycles and sure would like to see some of that technology come to our sport. Fly by wire was such a great thing, sure would like to see that come to the motorcycle world. Ride by wire, Abs, Gps, electronic cruise control, traction control, flat screens instead of the standard round guages. Some top end bikes have made the transition.
I would like to see the after market engineers develope that technology for the smaller bikes so we could ad them on. Is anyone out there doing this? I would pay for this technology!!!!!

I'm a pilot approaching retirement after a mere 31 years and I don't want any of that technological nonsense on my motorcycle (except ABS)! And I definitely don't want to lose the analogue round gauges.

[max]

Doug it's nice to have a bike that looks like the designer took some pride in designing an artistic looking engine in a classic frame like the ones we used to ( and some still ) have that has looks which brings bystanders over to have a look and chat about the bike, something that does not happen with a modern looking bike.

The tech has just started to behave in a way that makes it unobtrusive to the rider and aids in keeping him from having a spill as a result of enthusiastic control of the bike, once you get in the 140 hp and up grade the torque can get out of control quickly and it becomes very useful to have the electronics look after the rider especially at our age.
As much as it is helpful to have a big gps screen to help navigate at every turn i find the freedom to explore unknown ( or forgotten ) roads attractive too and consult my phone's maps when needed.

However this forum has a lot of fans of the " radial engine " design, just the way we roll around here and appreciate the older style, i doubt that my cb's electronics will survive as well as the contact point ignition on my 1977 cb550 which warmed up starts within one second

[tommymck]

Wow... Interesting reaction from the group. I get that folks who buy a CB1100 aren't necessarily looking for the next-best-gizmo, but it can indeed be fun to marry old with new (and I'd argue that things like ABS, traction control, fuel injection do exactly that.) I wouldn't necessarily take the "steam gauge" concept literally. In flying, there is a world of difference between flying VOR and ADF needles, and a glass cockpit with a coupled flight director, moving map with approach plates, fully coupled autopilot, real time weather and traffic overlays, etc. As satisfying as it can be to fly a '60s vintage 6-pack worth of steam gauges to minimums, more often than not, it's just a ton of work. Similarly, I wouldn't discount the fact there might be room to augment the rider experience with technology that may, or may not need to be in-your-face front and center, even on something like CB1100.

Sure, if I'm flying a vintage Cub on a summer evening, I don't want any of that stuff. But a modern Cub reproduction? I'm not turning down a GPS with moving map and a decent nav-com, maybe with XM weather.

Out of curiosity, how many other pilots do we have on the forum?

[the Ferret]

Like has been pointed out we don't reject ALL technology. Certainly electronic ignition, fuel injection and disc brakes have made a motorcyclists life easier and safer. Even if technically unnecessary, they have made it nicer. But I think most here view styling as paramount..ie it must look like WE THINK a motorcycle SHOULD look, and a little unobtrusive tech is ok, but when tech becomes overwhelming, it takes away from the experience. I've seen the dash boards of some of the Iron Butt riders bikes, and they indeed LOOK like the cockpits of some airplanes lol.

Soon some BMW's and Ducati's (and others will follow no doubt) will have lane departure warning systems, and adaptive cruise controls, along with the 6 axis IMU's, programmable traction control, multiple riding modes, ABS, Blue tooth enabled GPS, etc etc and while all of that may benefit some, to those who choose bikes like the W800, the CB 1100, the Moto Guzzi V7's , the Royal Enfields, and that genre of motorcycles, it is distracting, complicated and unnecessary for a Sunday afternoon 45-60 mph back roads ride that most use those kind of bikes for.

[Houtman_imp]

This thread is really flying of .....

[PowerDubs_imp]

I like what the CB offers- just enough tech to resolve things that actually benefit- namely fuel injection and disk brakes.

I'd like ABS.

Can't think of anything else I would want- especially if it changes the look of the bike.

I watched a youtube video the other day of some bike that lowered automatically at stops and raised again when you started to ride. That (although complicated) actually makes sense & benefit.

[KiowaEagle_imp]

I like what the CB offers- just enough tech to resolve things that actually benefit- namely fuel injection and disk brakes.

I'd like ABS.

Can't think of anything else I would want- especially if it changes the look of the bike.

I watched a youtube video the other day of some bike that lowered automatically at stops and raised again when you started to ride. That (although complicated) actually makes sense & benefit.

I believe I read that's an option on the new HD Pan American.

[PowerDubs_imp]

That may have been it- I did watch a video about that bike.

[the Ferret]

Gotta have some tech! (from 2007 Iron Butt Rally)

[Tev62]

It is all relative, my Triumph Daytona 1200 has virtually nothing electronic apart from an ignitor unit triggering two old frame mounted coils after being signalled from a pickup on the crank, that is about it but it is still light years ahead of a 70's machine. No points & condenser, now were rocking!

My round clocks still have a mechanical cable sticking out of the speedometer and the two round headlight house a lovely yellow hued pair of 60/55w Halogens. The CB1100 is positively modern by comparison but with a great design ethos of course.

Gotta have some tech! (from 2007 Iron Butt Rally)

Full Techo!